Johnny Cueto goes 6 innings, Reds beat slumping Diamondbacks 1-0 with combined two-hitter

Cueto, Reds beat slumping D-Backs 1-0

CINCINNATI — Right-hander Johnny Cueto settled in after two wild innings on Wednesday night, and Joey Votto singled home a sixth-inning run that sent the Cincinnati Reds to a 1-0 victory over the slumping Arizona Diamondbacks.

Arizona has lost nine of 11 due largely to an offense that’s among the NL’s worst. The Diamondbacks managed only an infield hit during six innings against Cueto (8-4) and a bunt single off the bullpen.

Jon Garland (4-8) pitched six solid innings but couldn’t break the longest losing streak of his career. The right-hander hasn’t won since May 19, going 0-6 with a pair of no-decisions. Blame Arizona’s offense, which has scored three or fewer runs in five of those games.

The Diamondbacks had their best chance in the seventh, when Gerardo Parra bunted for Arizona’s second hit and Arthur Rhodes loaded the bases with two outs on a pair of walks. Felipe Lopez flied out to end the threat.

Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 20 chances, completing Cincinnati’s seventh shutout of the season.

Cincinnati scored in the sixth with a pair of hits over the infield. Chris Dickerson hit a soft liner to center for a single, advanced on a groundout and came around on Votto’s single to center, another ball that found the right spot.

Since he was reinstated from a stint on the disabled list for anxiety issues, Votto has gone 11 for 32.

Reds manager Dusty Baker held a team meeting in before the game, assembling all 25 players in his spacious office. Baker doesn’t hold many team meetings, but sensed that his club — which has been stuck around .500 — needed encouragement.

“You just feel it,” Baker said. “Sometimes you’ve got to use your office to do more than just chastise.”

Cueto gave a reassuring performance that got Cincinnati back to break-even at 38-38.

The 23-year-old pitcher made an attention-grabbing debut against the Diamondbacks last season, allowing only one hit — Justin Upton’s solo homer — during seven innings of a 3-2 win.

He was in deep trouble early Wednesday, walking four of the first eight batters. Also, he grabbed his lower back after one pitch, bringing Baker and a trainer from the dugout. He settled down after that, allowing only Lopez’s infield single — a grounder that deflected off Cueto’s leg. He retired the last 12 batters he faced.

NOTES: The Diamondbacks plan to activate RHP Yusmeiro Petit off the DL to start Saturday against Colorado. Petit has been out since May 9 with a sore right shoulder. In five rehab starts, Petit is 0-1 with a 6.89 ERA. “He hasn’t pitched as well as we would have liked,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He is healthy.” … The Reds called up INF Drew Sutton from Triple-A Louisville and optioned reliever Jared Burton, adding depth to their injury-depleted infield.